But you already claimed “BTW, do you know why the EA and FC degrees don't have a word Mason in it, but they are still considered Mason”. So, I’m confused. You already instructed us that the first two degrees don’t have the word Mason in them.

Not the most environmentally friendly but god would I love that at times, we are lucky to have a stocked kitchen so we cook but I can’t help but feel that it may not be our strongest skill however when I am able to stay I try to sit with a brother I do not know and chat which is great fun.

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Our lodge is in the Masonic Temple in Fort Wayne, we share it with 2 other lodges and the York Rite chapters. We have a commercial kitchen and china, but the china is locked up. The building was built in 1926 so there is no dishwasher other than the human kind so dishes would have to be cleaned by hand. I had the opportunity to make homemade New York style pizza in the pizza oven, it turned out great and my brothers were very impressed with the pizza. The ovens worked great for being 91 years old.

Our lodge is in the Masonic Temple in Fort Wayne, we share it with 2 other lodges and the York Rite chapters. We have a commercial kitchen and china, but the china is locked up. The building was built in 1926 so there is no dishwasher and dishes would have to be cleaned by hand. I had the opportunity to make homemade New York style pizza in the pizza oven, it turned out great and my brother were very impressed with the pizza. The ovens worked great for being 91 years old.

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That’s fantastic! I love a good bit of history to the lodge building.
We use an old football club and there are a total of 6 blue lodges plus apendant bodies that meet there, we have more historic lodges near by however

That’s fantastic! I love a good bit of history to the lodge building.
We use an old football club and there are a total of 6 blue lodges plus apendant bodies that meet there, we have more historic lodges near by however

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I've been told or building is haunted. Some of our brothers who have seen floating orbs that appear and disappear in the building. I have no reason to believe they are lying, but I would love to see them, I just don't want to be alone when or if I do.

I've been told or building is haunted. Some of our brothers who have seen floating orbs that appear and disappear in the building. I have no reason to believe they are lying, but I would love to see them, I just don't want to be alone when or if I do.

As far as I know nobody has ever seen one during a meeting. To the best of our knowledge, no one has ever died in the building but in its hey day over 10,000 masons occupied that building and the building was open 24/7 with shops occupying the first floor so you never know. I guess the Tyler will have challenge them for the password.

All are masons, once initiated you are a Mason but you are an Entered Apprentice, the lowest level, entry level if you will. Like joining a trade union, you are a member of that union, but you are an apprentice - a learner, in Star Wars terminology a Padawan, a Jedi but just learning.

I am just trying to understand how the process of degrees work, and when do you stop or you have to go all the way to 33 degrees.

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There's a point in the first degree where a man kneels a Mister and stands a Brother.

The first three degrees are the base. The three degrees are expected by all Brothers, though not all complete them. Completing the three degrees is a requirement for all other degrees. All other degrees are optional and never required.

While some Brothers stop at other points, the natural points are Master Mason third degree or completing whatever degree names or numbers any optional bodies you decide to and can afford to join.

In the US President Lyndon Johnson too his first degree then never continued. He was not aware of the amount of effort needed to progress and he didn't have the time because of his duties then in the US Senate.

I was MM for around 6 years before I petitioned the Scottish Rite and proceeded to 32. There's no way I will ever be appointed to 33rd. I'm not active enough in that body for that to ever happen. 32rd is far more common as an end point than 33rd.

I've been told or building is haunted. Some of our brothers who have seen floating orbs that appear and disappear in the building. I have no reason to believe they are lying, but I would love to see them, I just don't want to be alone when or if I do.

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The majority never have direct personal experience of deities or spirits. A minority have always had direct personal experience of deities or spirits. Not experiencing ghosts means you are a member of that majority. Ghosts are boring so I never did get why they frighten people, especially folks in the majority who don't detect them. What's to be frightened of? Some spirit that seems to come from a dead guy. I don't get the fuss.

The majority never have direct personal experience of deities or spirits. A minority have always had direct personal experience of deities or spirits. Not experiencing ghosts means you are a member of that majority. Ghosts are boring so I never did get why they frighten people, especially folks in the majority who don't detect them. What's to be frightened of? Some spirit that seems to come from a dead guy. I don't get the fuss.

The majority never have direct personal experience of deities or spirits. A minority have always had direct personal experience of deities or spirits. Not experiencing ghosts means you are a member of that majority. Ghosts are boring so I never did get why they frighten people, especially folks in the majority who don't detect them. What's to be frightened of? Some spirit that seems to come from a dead guy. I don't get the fuss.

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Not so much afraid, want someone with me for confirmation that I'm actually seeing a ghost.

There's a point in the first degree where a man kneels a Mister and stands a Brother.

The first three degrees are the base. The three degrees are expected by all Brothers, though not all complete them. Completing the three degrees is a requirement for all other degrees. All other degrees are optional and never required.

While some Brothers stop at other points, the natural points are Master Mason third degree or completing whatever degree names or numbers any optional bodies you decide to and can afford to join.

In the US President Lyndon Johnson too his first degree then never continued. He was not aware of the amount of effort needed to progress and he didn't have the time because of his duties then in the US Senate.

I was MM for around 6 years before I petitioned the Scottish Rite and proceeded to 32. There's no way I will ever be appointed to 33rd. I'm not active enough in that body for that to ever happen. 32rd is far more common as an end point than 33rd.

The majority never have direct personal experience of deities or spirits. A minority have always had direct personal experience of deities or spirits. Not experiencing ghosts means you are a member of that majority. Ghosts are boring so I never did get why they frighten people, especially folks in the majority who don't detect them. What's to be frightened of? Some spirit that seems to come from a dead guy. I don't get the fuss.

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Thanks dfreybur, well explain regarding the degrees. Anyhow, one more question. Up to 32nd degree, a Mason has to petition; however, 33rd a Mason has to be appointed? Another words, appointed like political appointee, like a job interview, how?

I saw ghost before, normally, I would be very scared especially when I think there is a ghost without seeing one. Sometime, I feel scared and sometime I don't feel scare even though I am in a dark room or location. I recalled when my Mom passed away. We had her body at the funeral home. From my culture, I have to symbolically guard her body until she is buried. I was hanging out at the funeral home every day (5 days) until 9:00 pm closed. There were times, sitting in the guest room across the casket, I looked through door and fixated at wall and ceiling, occasion, I saw images and impressions of an incomplete figure of a person. Sometime, I saw only the eyes and nose appeared coming out from a wall and ceiling. I don't know why I was not scared. Other family members would be very scared to have an idea that there were ghost if they were alone in the room. I did not tell anyone what I saw because if I did they would not want to hang out with me at the funeral home. At the time, I thought the images and movements were spirits the deaths because it is funeral home. One time, when I spent time at the hospital watching for my Mom, I also saw a movement that I thought it was a nurse. Anyhow, these strange feelings that I experienced were not hostile, so it did not scare me. I believe that most of the time the spirit figure out a way to communicate or to warn us of danger.

Thanks dfreybur, well explain regarding the degrees. Anyhow, one more question. Up to 32nd degree, a Mason has to petition; however, 33rd a Mason has to be appointed? Another words, appointed like political appointee, like a job interview, how?

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As I understand it, you must be nominated to receive the 33rd degree. It is based on your service and keeping in good standing. If you serve the Scottish Rite Valley of which you are a member, and go through the officer line and are very active you might get nominated in about 10 years or so. It is very subjective.

Thanks dfreybur, well explain regarding the degrees. Anyhow, one more question. Up to 32nd degree, a Mason has to petition; however, 33rd a Mason has to be appointed? Another words, appointed like political appointee, like a job interview, how?
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If I may? In AASR SJ, the Deputy or Sovereign Grand Inspector General makes a nomination to the Supreme Council. Upon approval, the candidate is contacted and informed of the election.

Thanks dfreybur, well explain regarding the degrees. Anyhow, one more question. Up to 32nd degree, a Mason has to petition; however, 33rd a Mason has to be appointed? Another words, appointed like political appointee, like a job interview, how?

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You seem the be confused.
The 33 degrees are not universal and exist only in one rite.

So for a start you have to go up to MM and then petion the AA(S)R instead of the York rite (If you are american).

Thanks everyone,
I noticed that there is an investigative team of 3 coming to the home of the candidate and ask or interview the spouse. What kind of questions normally or likely will be asked from the wives?

Not so much afraid, want someone with me for confirmation that I'm actually seeing a ghost.

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I don't think sight is the actual sense. If it were sight we would have photographs. When cats track ghosts they definitely point their heads. They act like it's sight. For some reason cats seem to be much more sensitive to spirits than humans. But we still don't have photographs. As such even with confirmation, there's no actual evidence. More than one person had an experience that others didn't.

Just as I have no idea why only a small minority of people detect spirits, I have no idea what the actual sense is. Plus I'm open to proof that it's a cognitive error, if such proof ever comes up. Not likely just as there never seems to be proof of the spirits. It just isn't about proof. I figure that for members of the majority who don't detect spirits it's a topic that parallels faith.

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